Wineries Four Days Touring Trip Day 1 Rota Farm Sde Boker - 35 km, Total Altitude 400m Start with a visit at the Rota Winery Ride 20 km and visit at the Kornmhel Goat Cheese Farm for some cheese tasting and panoramic view. http://kornmehlfarm.ramon.gonegev.co.il/english.asp Ride 10km to Kibbutz Sde Boker and visit Sde Boker Winery http://www.sde-boker.org.il/winery/enksb.html Minimum of 6 participants per program
Lodging Carmei Ovdat Farm- Ride of 10km Day 2 http://www.carmey-avdat.co.il/?lat=en Carmei Avdat Mitzpe Ramon, 37km Total altitude 400m Ride 3km to Avdat National Park. The ruins of Avdat, the greatest Nabatean city in the Negev, lie on a limestone hill overlooking the desert. The remains include two impressive Byzantine churches, a wine press, and many other interesting finds. The place is under the auspices of the Avdat National Park. http://www.parks.org.il/buildagate5/general2/data_card.php?cat=~25~~ 397886454~Card12~&ru=&SiteName=parks&Clt=&Bur=481738890
Ride 15km to Havat Kish enjoy the wine, the breeze and he atmosphere. http://kornmehlfarm.ramon.gonegev.co.il/english.asp Ride 19km to Mitzpe Ramon Lodging Isrotel Ramon Inn http://www.isrotel.co.il/english/content/hotelpage.asp?hid=6 Day 3 Mitzpe Ramon Mt. Harif Full day biking, 40km, total altitude 300m Mount Harif is located at the highest elevations of the central Negev Desert adjacent to the Sinai Peninsula at elevations of 1000 meters above sea level. The region comprises a series of narrow plateaus and rolling hills sharply dissected by deep wadis and the escarpment overlooking Sinai. It was first investigated by an expedition under the direction of A.E. Marks from 1969-1974
Drop off by car to the Arava The Arava region is rich with history and archeology from the time of King Solomon right on through the Roman and Ottoman Empires. The Ancient Spice Route started in Arabia, wound its way through the Nabatean treasury at Petra in Jordan, and then crossed the Arava from East to West, finally emerging from the desert at the port of Gaza. From there incense and perfume were shipped to first the Grecian and then the Roman Empires (detergents hadn t yet been invented, so the need for things that smell good was great indeed!). Along the route you can see the ruins of way stations for the camel trains, as well as an army outpost built high up on a hill to keep an eye on the caravans with their precious cargos. The via Nova Taurina was built in the first century AD by the Roman Emperor Taurinus, along a string of oases from the Jordan River to the Arava. The road was specifically built from North to South in order to avoid those pesky Nabateans! One of the most important stations along the way was the Hazeva Fortress, a Roman Army fort. The Romans were famous for their bathhouses, heated by hypocausts tunnels running under the floors, through which hot air was forced - which can still be clearly seen today. The site of the fortress has been settled since the time of King Solomon and the kings of Judah, and is believed to be the site of biblical Tamar. The oldest tree in Israel grows at the fortress, a jujube tree more than 1,000 years old.
Lodging at Oasis Gadish or Matmon Barava Day 4 Arava - full day biking, 21 km, total altitude 100 Riding the "Peace route" passing through unique farmlands The farming methods used in the Arava are among the most advanced in the world, and the region produces more than half of the vegetables exported from Israel. Tour our research and development station, bite into colorful capsicums that look too perfect to be eaten, and see the very latest methods used to make the desert bloom, as well as the fish-breeding station, where ornamental fish and barramundi are raised. Aloe Vera, the plant with unique healing qualities, is also grown on one of the farms in the region, and you can tour the farm.
http://www.arava.co.il/english